Doggie Door Questions

[papahog]

Well I have a 29 ft Cougar travel trailer parked in a secure fenced in yard.  I am just outside Portland Oregon and park at my home base for the cold months.  Next year I am going south.

Back to the questions.  Has anyone installed a doggie door and ramp to get there little dog outside to do his duty or chase imagined foes without losing heat because of the door being left open?  What are the pros and cons?

My little dog Willie (a six pound six year old Yorke) would just love a doggie door, as would I.

I did search the forums for anything doggie door related but did not find much. Did I miss something in my search?

[Tom]

Many RV parks have rules saying that pets should be on a leash while outside your RV. If you're boondocking some place, a pet allowed to wander outside might become a meal for another animal.

One prior discussion on doggie doors:

http://www.rvforum.net/SMF_forum/index.php/topic,1538.msg13773/topicseen.html#msg13773

[Wendy]

We have a doggie door in the house and it lets in a LOT of cold air. It also let in Gordon after he got skunked and probably could have easily let in Mr Skunk, too. I don't think I'd want one in the RV. And as Tom said, doggie outside unattended could become lunch (especially a dog as small as Willie). In Death Valley, they have a scoreboard for dogs v. coyotes - dog score is always zero, coyotes always win.

Wendy

[winstons mom]

PapaHog,  I have seen different styles of doggie doors.  The one that comes to mind the most is one that has a sensor on it and a sensor on the doggie collar that will only one when doggie is near.  Limits the "visitors".

[Tom]

... one that has a sensor on it and a sensor on the doggie collar that will only one when doggie is near.

Our daughter could have used one of those when a skunk got into her garage. It drove the dogs nuts and they got sprayed. The car and house smelled of skunk for months.

[Wendy]

The car and house smelled of skunk for months.

Not to mention the dogs ! There's still a hint of skunk smell when Gordon walks by and when he gets wet....ewwww.

[Tom]

Aye Wendy, doggies do tend to smell after being sprayed by a skunk, even if they've received a de-smell.

What I found interesting was that leather seemed to retain the smell; Our daughter's car had leather seats, and wouldn't give up the smell for a long time. She eventually traded the car. Whenever Chris visited our daughter's place, she'd come home and I could smell the skunk on her leather purse. I have no explanation for why leather seemed to retain the smell.

Does Gordon wear a leather collar 

[Wendy]

Does Gordon wear a leather collar 

Not leather but it was in the area he was sprayed and I really didn't think it was worth trying to de-skunk it so bought him a new one. The skunked one was thoroughly washed in hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, followed by a shampoo, and is now hanging out in the backyard. It's been over a month and it still reeks. I still get a whiff in the bathroom once in awhile....don't know if it's the porcelain in the tub or the vinyl shower curtain. Good reason to de-skunk the dog outside and not in the tub.

Wendy

[Tom]

The skunked one was thoroughly washed in hydrogen peroxide and baking soda, followed by a shampoo, and is now hanging out in the backyard.

Had to read that twice to realize you were talking about the collar, not Gordon 

[Wendy]

Had to read that twice to realize you were talking about the collar, not Gordon 

 

[papahog]

The very first sentence in my starter post says.

Well I have a 29 ft Cougar travel trailer parked in a secure fenced in yard.  I am just outside Portland Oregon and park at my home base for the cold months.

This is in a back yard.  As secure as any back yard I have ever seen.  The lady who owns the house lets me park here for free except I pay the electric bill for the property. Less than $100 a month year around.  Thats it.  I would never under any circumstances allow Willie outside in an RV park or Boondoggling or Walmart when traveling with out a leash with me on the other end.

Willie is king of the yard. 

What I am trying to prevent is when Willie wants out now (about 5 times a evening) I leave the door open till he comes in.  Lots of heat gets out that way.  Not to mention I have to get up and open the door and then get up to close the door.  In the summer when I am here (which is seldom) I just leave the door open and he goes in and out as he pleases.  Would love to have the option of him going in and out when parked here with out me getting up and letting him out.

[papahog]

I expect I will continue to get up and let him out along with the heat and then get up and close the door when he as come in.  Or install a dog door, and dog stair on the left side of my trailer so he can go in and out by himself.  The second option is probably the most economical let alone easier for me.  I burn about 7 gal of propane every 4 days as it is now. (I like it warm) and that adds up at $2.99 a gallon.  I would save money with the Dog door. 

I have that figured out.  How hard is to do if I install a dog door?

[Tom]

Ken,

The last sentence of that first paragraph said:

Next year I am going south.

I (incorrectly) assumed you needed the doggie door for when you travel south 

[Wendy]

Have you tried training Willie to use piddle-pads or a litter box? Easier than letting him out 5 times every evening. And does he need to go out that often or just want to go out and make you get up? Maybe you could retrain him? I'm not sure how you'd go about installing a doggie door in an RV. I guess you'd have to cut out a piece of the wall then figure a way to attach a ramp that you could remove and store when traveling. I've seen folks with ramps stored under the trailer by the door for senior dogs but I don't think you'd be able to put the doggie door in the entrance door if it's a double door (door and screen).

Let us know if you figure anything out.
Wendy

[Ray D]

Papahog, I have scratched my head til it hurts. Haven't come up with a thing, and I have built several cat doors and two doggie doors in stick houses. 

You might look at pet supply sites on-line, for what they have, and then adjust one of their products to your trailer. Or copy and modify it.   

wish I had an idea. 

Ray D 

[Wendy]

I still don't think that such a little dog should be outside unattended - owls have been known to carry off small dogs. But if you think a doggie door is the solution for you, what about a door under the dinette? You'd have to cut a piece out of both the inside and outside walls and then install the doggie door (I'm guessing you could use the smallest one made?). In our stick house, the doggie door is in the outside wall with trim pieces between the outside and inside walls and another trim piece on the inside wall. I guess you can cut holes in RV walls - isn't that what they do when they put in windows?

Wendy

[Tom]

Have you tried training Willie to use piddle-pads .....

We have a number of boating friends who have dogs, although not all understand that dogs aren't welcome on some boats.

One friend carries his little pooch in something that resembles a diaper bag. He came onto the boat of another friend who does not like dogs, period. He proceeded to lay out the piddle pad, and the pooch took a dump. The cockpits of most boats slope towards the stern, so the turd rolled downhill, much to the consternation of the captain/owner of that boat.

Thereafter, we declared that pooches could only poop square turds on other folks' boats    (If you didn't get it, square turds don't roll like round ones do.)

[Wendy]

Well, if the boat's listing to port, and the turd is rolling to port, then there's no problem, is there (even if it requiires a small kick top get it overboard)?

As for dogs on boats (or in yards or in RVs or.......), they should only be brought aboard if invited. And I'm not insulted one bit if my hairy child is not invited because I don't particularly want someone else's bald children/grandchildren around either.

Oh, dear, did I just insult a bunch of people?

Wendy

[Tom]

No insult taken here Wendy. When we had a pooch aboard, she was not taken aboard anyone else's boat, even if invited.

if the boat's listing to port, and the turd is rolling to port

I didn't mention a list. Most cockpits slope to stern, allowing water (or circular poop) to head out the rear (stern) of the vessel.

[Wendy]

I didn't mention a list. Most cockpits slope to stern, allowing water (or circular poop) to head out the rear (stern) of the vessel.

The list was metaphorical. If most slope to stern, then the poop needs to roll sternward. Better yet, the owners need to pick it up and pitch if overboard.

Wendy

[Tom]

Better yet, the owners need to pick it up and pitch if overboard.

OMG! And you call yourself an environmentalist   Where's Al Gore when we need him?

[taoshum]

Aye Wendy, doggies do tend to smell after being sprayed by a skunk, even if they've received a de-smell.

What I found interesting was that leather seemed to retain the smell; Our daughter's car had leather seats, and wouldn't give up the smell for a long time. She eventually traded the car. Whenever Chris visited our daughter's place, she'd come home and I could smell the skunk on her leather purse. I have no explanation for why leather seemed to retain the smell.

Does Gordon wear a leather collar 

Leather, like other skin, has pores?

[Wendy]

OMG! And you call yourself an environmentalist   Where's Al Gore when we need him?

Hey, it's organic !!!

[papahog]

Windy now you went and scared me with your mean owl.

This yard is in the city.  In a very secure neighborhood.  I do not think I have to worry about an owl.  However point well taken.  No dog door for me.

Willies favorite place is on the back of the couch keeping tabs on HIS back yard.  He sees a squirrel on the fence he is mad and ready for battle.  Thank God he can not catch them.  I tell him to not come back with out a black eye or blood on his chin so I  know he been in a good fight.  Has not happened yet.  LOL

On a sad note a lady came by my girlfriends house (Out in the country) just tonight with a flier of her little lost girl.  She has been letting her out for 3 years and she always comes back in.  Last night she did not.  This family was heart broke.  My girlfiend said this little Yorke looked just like my Willie.  I was talking to her just before I came here to check this thread.  I am not sure God does not give warnings about things like this so I have sure taken notice of this coincidence.

PS My Willie poops little curly poop designed to not roll to the stern.  He is a fisherman and spends lots of days from early to late on a boat and has never pooped in one yet.  I do try to get him off at mid day to sniff around but when at sea there no getting him off the boat.

[Tom]

My Willie poops little curly poop designed to not roll to the stern.

Willie is very creative and obviously a seafaring dog 

[sheltie]

We have a doggie door in the house and it lets in a LOT of cold air. It also let in Gordon after he got skunked and probably could have easily let in Mr Skunk, too. I don't think I'd want one in the RV. And as Tom said, doggie outside unattended could become lunch (especially a dog as small as Willie). In Death Valley, they have a scoreboard for dogs v. coyotes - dog score is always zero, coyotes always win.

Wendy

Wendy,

Based on where you live, I guess I was lucky that neither of my dogs got sprayed when I stayed near Mesa Verde for a month last year!  Come to think of it, we never detected the delightful fragrance one normally equates to skunks!

Denny

[Wendy]

Denny - We usually have "eu de skunk" in the spring and fall when they're out looking for boyfriends/girlfriends. Not so much in the summer and winter so you may have missed their pleasant odor.

Ken - Didn't mean to scare you but when we got our first Lab, he was house trained because the owner had lost one of the puppies to an owl and had moved the other 7 pups into the house and trained them all at the same time (and they were probably bigger when they were born than Willie is now!). As for Willie, he sounds like a very intelligent, well-mannered fellow who has his Papa well trained  Bet he'll enjoy meeting the other hairy kids at Quartzsite.

Wendy

[Tom]

Willie, being a seafaring dog, might enjoy this (true) story ...

Our last dog enjoyed visits to, and trips aboard, our prior boat. When we anchored out overnight, she had her own bed and would wake early in the morning, letting me know she wanted to "go". I'd hop in the dinghy (she got there first), and would either motor to shore or, if we were rafted with other boats, I'd row. I'd pull up to shore, either a beach or some rocks, she'd reluctantly hop out and proceed not to do anything. She'd hop back in the dinghy, and we'd return to the boat.

It took a number of such trips to realize she really wanted a dinghy ride. Although she was paranoid of water, the dinghy was "her boat", and she'd stand on the bow like a hood ornament.

[Wendy]

And, just like Willie, she had her Dad well trained 

Wendy

[Tom]

Aye, that she did Wendy, although her Dad changed the time of the early morning dinghy rides when he finally figured it out